


Lifetimes of Agony

by Jestpackblues



Category: Butterfly Corps - Fandom, Original Work, Valnia - Fandom
Genre: I guess valnia and butterfly corps are kind of in the same universe?, M/M, OCs - Freeform, butterfly corps, enjoy pls, ok whatver ig lol, valnia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-23
Updated: 2017-01-21
Packaged: 2018-09-11 07:17:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8965822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jestpackblues/pseuds/Jestpackblues
Summary: Samael has spent countless centuries watching his beloved Halo die time and time again and each time being powerless to stop what Lady Fate has set in motion. What will it take for him to say enough is enough?





	1. Until We Meet Again

**Author's Note:**

> I really like doing original works and I guess this is the one I do as a series. I can't promise a regular upload schedule bc I kinda suck at that due to school and other things. I will try, however. Please enjoy and leave comments and kudos!

Tears stung his eyes as he looked down on the lifeless face of his dead beloved. Her glassy blue eyes stared up at him. Samael had seen this scene too many times before in his long life. Each time was the same. He would find his beloved, no matter their shape, face, name or gender, he would find them and each time they would fall in love and be happy for a short while but the happiness never lasted as long as he would have liked it to. Halo was always the first to go. The first time it was murder, that was what stuck with him through all these years. Seeing his love’s body completely broken and bloodied, barely alive when he arrived home. Halo made a promise then, one that had held up over the centuries no matter how many tragedies struck them: _We’ll be together again soon, my love. Don’t lose faith._ And Samael never did, no matter how many unhappy endings Fate gave them, he never lost faith that he would see his beloved again.

            Even now, as he saw his now-wife finally give up after months of battling a sickness she couldn’t win. Fate was a cruel mistress, while he remembered everything from millennia passed, his beloved never did. They got to experience their love renewed time and time again no matter the place, time or conditions, they would meet and fall in love again, and again, and again. And each time he saw their face as the light of life faded from it, and each time was a different method of death that Fate carried out, even as the centuries went by, Samael never numbed himself to death. He didn’t want to be numbed to it, he did, however, want to forget every death of Halo’s he had ever witnessed, every night they spent gasping for breath during a terrible sickness, writhing in pain from a mortal wound, the too-large-to-be-normal puddle of blood during childbirth, body dangling inches off the ground, strung up by a simple noose they tied themselves, drowning, trampled, mauled. He wanted to forget it all. He held their face close to his chest as he sobbed over their death for the numberless time.


	2. Found Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Samael starts a new life with the pain of the last one still hanging on, though he finds solace in knowing Halo is somewhere and he is determined to find them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok yay finally a new chapter!! And Introducing Lady Fate and Halo's new life!! I'm sorry this isn't as soon as I thought it would be but hey, it's longer!

He had memorized the feeling of starting anew. It started with a warmth that covered him from head to toe, then everything around him started to dissolve into nothingness until he was alone in the pitch black. Sometimes he could feel himself start to dissolve along with his old surroundings as Fate gave him a new identity for this new life, something she rarely did. A pain started in his head, the feeling of someone lighting a fire behind his eyes, he cried out to nothing as the pain grew, implanting new memories into his head of a life he never lived but were to carry out now. A young boy growing up on a farm with five older siblings, a kind and caring family. He watched each new memory as it was implanted into his mind. Family outings, helping father in the fields with his older siblings, a loving mother tending to skinned knees and elbows from play, his siblings’ weddings and waving farewell as they moved out with their new spouse, and finally his own departure from his aging parents’ home to a new village. His surroundings started to appear again, the pain dulled as he saw a single face, a young man with curly blond hair and soft, smiling blue eyes and he felt his heart skip a beat. The face faded and a single name floated in his mind, _Aven._

               Samael gasped and sat up, his heart raced from the jarring experience that he could never get used to. Once he calmed down and caught his breath he began looking around. He was in a simple room, the walls were bare save for the mirror hanging near the door, a basin for washing underneath it. A wardrobe was pushed against the wall opposite the bed he sat in. He stood and stretched, the memory of the latest death still fresh in his mind, he cursed that he was the only one out of the two of them to remember everything. Though, he knew that in his heart he was glad that Halo needn’t suffer from the pain of knowing how many lifetimes they spent in sorrow, dying time and time again. Their soul didn’t need the taint of that much sadness, he didn’t need to see the pain from the previous life carry over to the new one. He dressed and washed himself for the day and as he reached for the door he felt a tugging in his chest. The bond that had connected the souls of he and Halo since the beginning was pulling him to his love once again. _Aven._ The name floated in his head as the same blond haired, blue eyed man appeared in his mind and the tug pulled him out the door.

               He felt his hands shaking, the thoughts of the inevitable future running through his mind and the questions he always asked himself each new life resurfaced. _How long do we have? What is it going to be this time? Will I be lucky enough to finally be let out of the endless torture?_ He looked around at the people bustling about their day through the village, going from shop to shop, children laughing and playing in the streets. He smiled a bittersweet smile when he saw them. _We were like that once._ His memory fluttered back to a life they lived so long ago. They were children, best friends that grew up together, young love blossoming in their teen years and continued for several years, through marriage and children, Samael had let his guard down, convinced that this was their happy ending; that Fate had finally decided that the torture was over and they could live a normal life and return to their immortality once this natural life ended. He was wrong.

               After all the years they had spent together, he never realized that something gnawed at his beloved spouse. And then the day came. One when their children had grown and moved away, Samael came home and called to Halo and received no answer. He became increasingly worried when no answer followed each time he called as he moved through the house. He wandered to the back of their home, into their bedroom and there on the bed lay his love, appearing, at first, to be sleeping. Further inspection revealed a bottle of poison, loosely grasped in their hand. Samael felt his chest tighten as he threw himself next to them on the bed, holding their cold, clammy hand in his, begging them to wake up.

               He stopped in his tracks, even now, thinking about it, he felt the sting of tears in his eyes and tightness in his chest. He balled up his fists and took a deep breath. There was no reason to be feeling this way. He had seen Halo die time and time again, but he always held on to a single shred of hope that one day, this will all be over, and they can go back to their normal lives and love as they used to. He exhaled, then inhaled again to try and calm himself before he continued to follow the tug.

               Sometimes Samael wished that their souls never connected. This was one of those times. Their connection had led him to the less “family-friendly” part of the village, the part of the village that sold the most alcohol and other intoxicants in all shapes and forms. He slowed his step when he saw the first person passed out on the side of the street, a bottle of liquor in their hand as they slept in ragged clothes, an empty tin, likely for coins, sat beside them, close enough to their body that they would be able to tell if someone took the tin. Samael reached into his pocket and fished out a couple of coins, gently putting them into the tin as he walked by. He heard a chuckle as he did so, he sighed, realizing who it was.

               _Charity won’t save you, Samael._ Whispered the voice. Samael huffed.

               _Who said I was trying to save myself? Maybe I just want to be a good person._ The voice scoffed.

               _You? A good person? Do you realize who you are, boy? What you bring to this world?_

_Doesn’t mean I can’t try. You were the one who put me into this mess, Fate. I’m just trying to make the best of it. Hell, maybe I’ll even touch a few hearts and change a few lives._

_Don’t get cocky._ He heard Her huff. He smiled, for once, he had frustrated Her, rather than the other way around. He opened the door to a tavern, shaking off the cold as a bell rang when the door hit it. The tavern cleaner than he expected it to be, filled with visiting friends and laughter from the customers.

“Welcome! Find yourself a seat! I’ll be with you in a moment!” Called a voice, a rush of calm washed over him when he heard it. _That’s them. I know it._ He wandered the dining area, looking for an open seat. Something-or some _one_ rather- whizzed out in front of him, causing the two of them to run into one another, and a tray of drinks to fly through the air and find a landing spot right on Samael.

“Oh! Oh my goodness I’m so sorry! I’m such a klutz!” The person turned and stared at him. Big blue eyes, wide with shock, searched him, thinking. A single lock of blond hair fell into his face and he brushed it away. Samael felt his cheeks flush. _Aven._ He was wearing a buttoned, mustard-yellow shirt that surprisingly looked rather dashing on him. A pair of black pants with a white apron tied around his waist.

“N-no. It’s alright, it’s my fault. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“Let me get you some towels.” He left quickly and returned just as fast with a few towels in his hand, handing him one. Samael shrugged his coat off and the other took it and hung it up.

“I really am sorry, that usually doesn’t happen, I’m so embarrassed.” He began to pat down Samael to help dry him off.

“It’s not your fault, really. I should have been paying better attention.” Samael said as he took the towel and rubbed it over his head to dry his hair. Once he was dried off as much as possible, the blond man sighed.

“I feel terrible about doing that. Why don’t I get you a drink on the house as compensation?” He said, bending down to pick up the spilt cups and tray. Samael knelt to help him clean up the mess.

“You don’t have to do that.” He said, sopping up the puddle of alcohol and other drinks.

“It’s the least I can do.” He looked up and held out a hand. “I’m Aven, by the way.” Samael looked down at the offered hand and felt that squeezing feeling in his chest again. _Here we go again._ He took it and gave Aven a firm shake.

“Samael.” He said, Aven smiled at him, standing up with the tray filled with empty cups.

“Well, Samael, I’m going to get fresh drinks for the people who ordered these, and then I’ll get you yours.” Samael smiled back.

“Sounds like a plan.” Aven went behind the counter and started pouring the fresh drinks while Samael took a seat at the bar.

“So, Samael, I haven’t seen you around before. Are you new in town?” He looked up briefly from pouring a glass of wine. Samael shrugged.

“I’ve only been here a couple of days.”

“Are you looking for work, or do you have something set up?” He arranged the cups on the tray again, then poured the last few while he waited for an answer.

“No, I don’t have anything set up for work.” Aven smiled at him.

“Well then, if you want, we have an opening here. It would be nice to have an extra set of hands helping out around here.”

“I will definitely think about it.” He said, smiling back. Aven picked up the tray and left the counter to distribute the drinks, apologizing to each table about the wait. Samael watched him, the squeezing in his chest getting tighter.

 _Enjoy it while it lasts, Samael._ Fate again.

_Buzz off._

_Watch how you talk- er- think to me._ He rolled his eyes and shifted, crossing his legs.

 _And what will you do about it? You can’t touch him._ Yet.

_Watch yourself. Remember, I still hold the reigns on this ride. I always decide how this goes down, you should do well to remember that, Samael. You’ve been through this how many times?_

_I don’t give a damn anymore, Fate._ Fate chuckled in his ear, he felt Her hand squeeze his shoulder.

_You should watch what you say, I just might remember that and take him right now._

_You can’t. That’s not how it’s worked before. You can’t go back on your word._

_You_ do _realize who I am, don’t you, Samael?_ She was angry now, but Samael didn’t care anymore.

 _Yes, I’m not an idiot. But you can’t touch him because he hasn’t said_ It. Part of him hoped that Aven wouldn’t say It, those three words that he heard so many times and had so much meaning, only brought heartache to Samael.

 _Things can change, Samael._ And with that, She left. He felt a gentle hand on his arm. He turned to see Aven, a slightly concerned look on his face and a full mug in his other hand.

“Are you alright? You look kind of… sad.” Samael nodded.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Aven shrugged.

“Whatever you say,” he sat beside him, handing him the drink. “Here, on the house for that fiasco. It’s the house special.” Samael took the drink, taking a sip.

“It’s good, what’s in it?” He set it on the table. Aven shifted in his seat.

“Honey, oranges, and a blend of spices.” Samael nodded, leaning back in his seat, one hand resting on the mug’s handle and the other in his lap. Aven locked his fingers together over the back of the chair and rested his head on them.

“So, where are you from?” he asked.  Samael tilted his head, giving him a confused look. Aven shifted again, “You’re new around here, aren’t you? Where are you from?”

“I, ah, grew up on a farm a few weeks’ journey north of here.”

“So, you’re a farmboy, huh?” Aven smirked at him. “Have any siblings?”

“Five, actually. Three sisters and two brothers. I’m the youngest. What about you? Any family to speak of?” Aven shook his head.

“Unfortunately. Mom died when I was young, my father couldn’t handle it and dumped me on my mom’s brother who took out his anger on me.” He sighed, unlocking his fingers and straitening up, resting his arm on the table. Samael frowned, taking another drink.

“I’m sorry you had to go through all that. Mind if I ask how old you were?” Aven took a deep breath, his eyes seemed distant.

“Five. I was five when I started living with him.” He exhaled. Samael gently touched his hand as an attempt to show his sympathies.

“I’m sorry, no one should have to—” Aven abruptly stood up, the scraping sound the chair made cut Samael off.

“I should get back to work. It was nice to have met you.” He walked away from the table, going back to waiting on the tables and making drinks. Samael turned his body towards the table and began to nurse his drink, staring blankly at the table.

 _I pushed. I shouldn’t have pushed._ He looked back at him, sighing before going back to his drink.

 

When nearly half an hour had passed, Samael decided it was time to go. He fished out a couple of coins and a piece of paper. He placed the coins on the table and wrote a note on the paper.

_Thanks for the drink, I know you said it was on the house but I don’t feel right not paying for it. If you want to talk more I’m staying at The Wilted Wing Inn. –Samael._

He read the note over several times before finally deciding to leave it and go. He scanned the dining area for the blond man one last time before finally leaving.

**Author's Note:**

> I know it's short D: The next one I will try and make longer I promise


End file.
